(NORTH SALEM, N.Y.)-- Nicole Mendoza knew what she wanted from the get go. Ever since she was little, pediatric nursing has been a passion of hers, so when it came time to select her internship for the school’s O.P.T.I.O.N.S. program, it was a no brainer.
“I have a little brother and a little cousin at home and I’ve always enjoyed spending time with them. At church I’m a teacher too. So I get a lot of one on one time with them and I find it easy to be with children,” she said.
After recently obtaining her CNA certificate (Certified Nursing Assistant) she opted to intern with a local pediatrician to get a taste of what it’s like to work in a doctor’s office. The internship placement came through Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES and she was placed with Tomahawk Pediatrics in Yorktown.
Mendoza’s internship required a lot of juggling. While she was participating in the program, she would spend mornings at BOCES in Yorktown from 8 to 10 a.m., and then travel to North Salem where she would return for chemistry class, and then back to BOCES again. While she said it was challenging traveling back and forth, coupled with the fact that she does not drive, Mendoza said it was worth it to get the experience.
While working at the pediatrician’s office, she worked under a Licensed Practical Nurse who served as her mentor and who taught her such valuable things as infection control and the importance of wearing gowns and masks to ensure patient safety.
Mendoza says she also learned a lot about vaccine administration during her tenure there. She said a good nurse needs to have certain qualities, including patience and caring, something that’s necessary when dealing with very young patients, who will often “cry and kick and scream and bite because they are scared.”
Nursing also requires good interpersonal skills, she said, as well as empathy and good communication skills in order to be an effective liaison between the doctor and the child’s parent.
“You’re always talking to the parents of the patient and the doctor,” Mendoza said. “And parents will always have questions. There’s not a single parent who doesn’t have questions, so it’s important to be a good listener.”
The North Salem High School student said working in a doctor’s office presented its daily challenges.
“It’s not always easy to be in the healthcare field. Although one person may have a worse case than another, you have to put each one on the same level of importance,” Mendoza said.
The high school student walked away with another set of skills that included taking vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, weight and temperature and learned how to properly monitor infants’ growth as well as medication administration and safety precautions for that.
She also volunteered at Somers Manor, a rehabilitation and nursing center, where she helped helped to feed, bathe and offer companionship to the elderly residents a few times a week.
“They were really happy to have the company and were glad to see us every time,” said Mendoza. “We were able to give them time that not many other people would have time to give them.”
In addition to working with a pediatrician’s office and at Somers Manor, Mendoza also took part in a medical assistant program in conjunction with Syracuse University. She explained that she had recently participated in a nationwide competition program designed to rate participants on their skills, and placed fourth in the state as a medical assistant. She is also currently a volunteer at Putnam Hospital Center and the Fieldhome [a rehab and nursing center in Cortlandt Manor], something she plans to continue with.
“That also helped me out a lot,” she said. “To realize that this is something I want to keep doing.”
Moving forward, Mendoza says she plans to become a Licensed Practical Nurse and eventually a Registered Nurse.
She credits her O.P.T.I.O.N.S. internship with helping her in her next step.
“After this experience I knew I wanted to continue with pediatrics and that I do want to become a nurse. It’s rewarding and fun.” she said.

In May, reports surfaced that Gov. Andrew Cuomo had lobbied his former staffer, Pete Harckham, to run for the 40th State Senate District against two-term incumbent, Terrence Murphy, a Republican from Yorktown.

Seven months later, Cuomo, a New Castle resident who happens to be one of Harckham’s most prominent constituents, administered the oath of office to his friend at Peekskill High ...

In May, reports surfaced that Gov. Andrew Cuomo had lobbied his former staffer, Pete Harckham, to ...

Tis the season to be merry
and all else is secondary.
Whether Christian, Buddhist, Jew,
Muslim, Druid or Hindu—
joy should never be exclusive
so our greeting is inclusive.
If you’re Team Judah or Team Jesus
Irving Berlin’s sure to please us.
And this spirit will not fail ‘em
the good people of North Salem.

With endorsements from the likes of Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, Andy Taylor of Duran Duran, Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie, The Cure) and a host of other high-profile artists, the guitar pedal created by North Salem’s David Harrington has undoubtedly struck a chord with musicians looking for an original sound in their guitar playing.

The handmade distortion pedal is made by Harrington ...

With endorsements from the likes of Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, Andy Taylor of Duran ...

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - North Salem News looks back on the top five sports stories of the year

Jolley runs to section title, second at states
Ava Jolley had a breakout freshman season in cross country and her sophomore year in 2018 was even better. Jolley, who took fourth at sectionals as a freshman, won the Division 3 sectional race this year with a time of 20:14.9, defeating the second-place ...

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - North Salem News looks back on the top five sports stories of the ...

Building sets for school theater productions has been a kind of metaphor for Hana Szabo, a senior at North Salem High School.

Combining craftsmanship and creativity to build the sets is something she said she enjoys because it helps her classmates succeed on the stage. She points out that this interest lines up with her plans to go to medical school and become a doctor—a profession that ...

Building sets for school theater productions has been a kind of metaphor for Hana Szabo, a senior ...

The North Salem School Board is once again assessing whether it should allocate money for a turf field, something parents say is necessary for the district’s sports teams.

At the school board meeting last month, School Board President Andrew Brown presented a rendering of a proposed turf field from KSQ Architects for soccer, field hockey and lacrosse, a 300-person bleacher section with press ...

The North Salem School Board is once again assessing whether it should allocate money for a turf ...